The present invention relates to a surgical device. More specifically, the invention relates to devices for retraction of an incision or natural bodily opening during surgery and for protecting the edges or incisions from infection or tumour seeding during surgery.
Wound Retraction
Adequate anatomical exposure is required in modem surgical procedures to allow procedures to be safely and effectively performed. Anatomical exposure is achieved by separating the walls of a natural orifice or spreading apart the margins of a surgical incision. A difficult surgical procedure can be simplified by adequate retraction whereas a relatively simple procedure can be made more difficult or even dangerous by the lack of adequate retraction. Exposure is maximised with correct incision placement and well directed retraction.
Retraction can be achieved in several different ways. The most common method of surgical wound retraction is by the use of hand held retractors. These may be made of metal or thermoplastics and allow an operator to apply a retraction force to the wound edges. They are disposable or reusable and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to satisfy the requirements of different surgical procedures.
Another type of retractor are Frame mounted retractor devices are also known. Such devices consist of a rigid circular or horseshoe-shaped frame on which multiple, detachable and movable paddle retractors are attached. The device may be mounted to an operating table to provide secure anchorage. Retraction may be applied in required directions. Typically such retractors are made of stainless steel to facilitate cleaning and sterilisation for reuse. Some of the more complex retactors need to be taken apart before sterilisation and reassembled before use. These devices always apply retraction at a fewspecific locations on the wound. This is a disadvantage of such devices as it can lead to regional ischaemia on parts the wound edge.
A wound retractor, and protector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,644 (Crook). This device consists of an open-ended sleeve of polymeric material with a flexible ring at each end. One ring is inserted into the incision and the sleeve is manually rolled up around the other ring to apply tension to the polymeric material to achieve retraction. The device is often difficult to use because of the manual dexterity required, especially when the surgeons hands are wet. In addition, the device is incrementally adjustable. This restricts the efficiency of the device across all abdominal wall thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,179 (Williamson IV) describes a device having an elastomeric sealing element and a tubing conduit. The device protects the edges of the wound from contamination. However, the device is specifically for laparoscopic instruments and is not suitable for hand assisted surgery because the wound opening is not sufficiently retracted.
WO-A-96/36283 (Mollenauer) describes a trocar device for retracting and sealing an incision and providing a sealed access port for surgical instruments. Whilst this incision and providing a sealed access port for surgical instruments. Whilst this device provides both retraction and protection to the wound edge is not suitable for use in hand assisted surgery due to size limitations. The device retarcts and protects due to the inflation of one or one or more balloons and because these close the lumen when inflated it is not possible to visulaise the contents of the abdomen through the device.
WO-A-98/48724 discloses a device for use in hand assisted laparoscopic surgery. The device has a wound retractor/protector component and a component for sealing around the wrist of the surgeon. The wound protector component consists of an inner ring and two outer inflatable doughnut-shaped rings mounted vertically on top of another. The inner and outer rings are linked by an elastomeric sleeve. Inflation of the two outer rings causes retraction of the elastomeric sleeve. This device provides wound retraction and protection but it is not suitable for device has a large vertical profile due to the outer rings. This restructs reach into the incision and extends the fulcrum of any instruments used in such a way that their effective reach and breath of lateral movement would be severely restricted.
Wound Protection
The sides of an open wound are susceptible to infection and cross contamination if they are touched by contaminated material such as body parts or fluids as they pass through the opening of a wound. Serious problems can also result from cancerous material coming into contact with the wound edge. It is well known that cancerous cells may become seeded in wound areas, especially at trocar sites.
To avoid such problems great care is taken to protect the edges of an incision using drapes that are impervious to liquids. An incision liner is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,692 (Creager). This linear comprises a sheet of polymeric material. The sheet has a hole cut out in the centre and the edges of the hole are reinforced using a semi-rigid ring. This ring can be inserted into the incision allowing a surgical procedure to proceed through the ring while the material attached to the ring protects the edges of the incision from contaminants in the wound site. These device marketed as “Steridrape” by 3M Corporation and comes in a variety of sizes for different wound sizes. However such devices do not adequately retract an incision.
In general known devices are of either complex construction, do not effectively seal a wound and/or are difficult to operate.
There is therefore a need for an improved surgical device that will overcome at least some of these problems.
Statements of Invention
According to the invention there is provided a surgical device comprising:                an inner mounting means for insertion through a wound opening;        a first outer mounting means for mounting external of a wound opening; and        connecting means extending between the inner and outer mounting means;        the connecting means being movable to shorten the axial extent of the connecting means.        
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the outer mounting means is movable relative to the inner mounting means to twist the connecting means to form a lumen of reduced cross section and to shorten the axial extent of the connecting means.
Most preferably the outer mounting means is rotatable relative to the inner mounting means to twist the connecting means.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the connecting means is a sleeve of pliable material extending between the inner and outer mounting means.
In one aspect the device includes a second outer mounting means, the connecting means extending between the first outer mounting means, the inner mounting means, and the second outer mounting means.
In this case preferably the first and second outer mounting means are rotatable relative to one another to twist the connecting means and to draw the inner mounting means towards the outer mounting means. The outer rings also rotate relative to the inner mounting means.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the inner mounting means is an O-ring. Preferably the connecting means is a sleeve which is led from the first outer mounting means to the O-ring and from the O-ring to the second outer mounting means.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the device includes locking means for locking the first outer mounting means relative to the second outer mounting means.
In one arrangement one of the outer mounting means is located or locatable within the other outer mounting means.
Preferably the inner diameter of the sleeve is greater than or equal to the axial length of the sleeve.
In a preferred arrangement the inner diameter of the sleeve is greater than the axial length of the sleeve by an amount less than the thickness of an average abdominal wall, which is typically 2 to 6 cm. This assists in achieving a retraction force.
Preferably a substantially gas tight seal is formed between the outer mounting means on shortening of the length of the sleeve. Ideally, the sleeve extending between the first and second outer mounting means defines an inflatable space.
In one embodiment of the invention the device includes a port for connection to an inflation means.
The invention also provides a surgical device comprising:                an inner mounting means for insertion through a wound opening;        a first outer mounting means;        a second outer mounting means; and        a sleeve of pliable material extending from the second outer mounting means to the inner mounting means and from the inner mounting means to the first outer mounting means.        
Preferably one or both of the first and second outer mounting means are movable relative to one another to adjust the diameter of the lumen defined by a twist in the sleeve extending therebetween.
Ideally, the first and second outer mounting means are rotatable relative to one another.
In one embodiment of the invention the sleeve is releasably mounted to the second outer mounting means for adjustment of the length of the sleeve.
Preferably the second mounting means comprises a receiver and the sleeve is mounted or mountable to a ring which is releasably mounted to the receiver.
In another embodiment of the invention the inner mounting means is configured to reduce the size thereof for ease of insertion into a wound opening.
Typically in this case the inner mounting means comprises a ring which includes a hinge means for reducing the size of the ring.
A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting means is translated to shorten the axial extent of the connecting means.
A device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the connecting means comprises a sleeve which is translated by a drawstring mechanism.
A device as claimed in claim 24 wherein the connecting means comprises a plurality of straps attached to the inner mounting means, the straps being pulled upwardly to shorten the axial extend of the connecting means.
Typically the outer mounting means includes a holder for holding a surgical instrument.
The surgical device may form a wound retractor, a wound protector or a wound protector retractor.